Internship / CO-OPs / Externships - Montgomery College, MD

Internships / CO-OPs / Externships
Montgomery College Student Development

Student Development: Collegewide | Germantown | Rockville | Takoma Park/Silver Spring

Definitions - Montgomery College Opportunities
How to Search for an Internship - Local Opportunities - Famous Interns

One of the key factors in finding a job after you graduate from college is whether or not you have experience in your field. Experiential learning can make YOU stand out among graduates. You can begin garnering internship/co-op experience here at Montgomery College. If you transfer on to a four-year school, plan to seek out information on internships/cooperative work experiences early on.

Experiential learning refers to experiences outside the classroom that enable students to develop skills related to their academic or career interests. Such experiences include internships, co-ops, summer employment, and externships.

Internships. Internships are typically one-time work or service experiences performed by students who have attained at least some academic preparation in a professional field. Advanced undergraduate or graduate students work in professional settings under the supervision of at least one practicing professional. Some internships are more involved than others. Many offer pay, but quite a few don’t. Most are done for academic credit.

Co-ops. A cooperative education experience is generally completed over more than one semester. It includes work assignments related to the participant’s academic and career interests. Co-op students are almost always paid, and their work is considered productive to the employer. The typical program plan involves students alternating terms of full-time classroom study with terms of full-time, discipline-related employment. Most co-op programs involve some sort of academic credit.

Practicums. A practicum is generally a one-time work or service experience participated in as part of an academic class. Some practicums offer pay, but many don’t. Almost all are done for academic credit.

Externships. Externships are also known as job shadowing and allow students to spend between one day and several weeks observing professionals on the job. Such experiences are unpaid; however, some colleges and universities pick up travel and/or living expenses. Externships are generally not done for academic credit.

Montgomery College Opportunities

Montgomery College Internship Directory - a listing of all MC opportunities

Montgomery College Collegewide Cooperative Education and Internship Program

MC Internship Information and Referral Services - Internship opportunities outside of the Cooperative Education Program. MC has a separate Internship Coordinator who is available to help identify internship opportunities and to enhance internship and job search skills, including resume review and interview skills development. The office is located on the Rockville Campus, Counseling and Advising Building, Rm. 215. 301-738-8043 or 301-279-5062.

Montgomery College Smithsonian Internships - An internship at the Smithsonian Institution through Montgomery College is an experience like no other! It is a prearranged, structured learning opportunity within a defined time frame. MC students in any discipline may apply for an internship.

Montgomery College Library of Congress internships are available to eligible students each summer. Students with an interest in history and/or languages may find interesting summer opportunities in this program.

The Macklin Business Institute, Montgomery College, Rockville Campus. The Macklin Business Institute offers an honors and mentoring program to sophomore-year business students. The college-wide program includes participation in business honors courses, a seminar each week, and mentoring by both a faculty member and a corporate executive. A business internship and scholarship support will also be available to students accepted into the Institute.

Biotechnology Internships - through MC's Biotechnology Laboratory Program, three 180-hour internships are required in the program. Also look into the Biomedical Scholars Program.

Hood College, Combined Bachelor's and Master's Degree Programs in Computer Science, Information Technology, and Biomedical Science. Students can complete both a B.A.or B.S. and M.S. in five years of full-time study, beginning with the completion of a Montgomery College AA degree prior to transfer. Hood's Combined BS/MS programs include an extensive internship program providing students with practical work experience.

Other Internship Programs at Montgomery College
Tech Leap - an intensive, 6-month technology training program for students who already possess an AA or higher college degree. Internships are an integral part of this program

Internships that earn college credit within specific subject area at Montgomery College - ask about these courses in the Counseling Center or check a current schedule of classes for coordinator contact information. Most of these for-credit internship courses have a prerequisite of completion of one or more courses in the subject field.

Conduct Your Own Search for an Internship

Use a search engine like http://www.google.com/ and type in a variety of phrases to generate some possibilities. For example, you might try "internships psychology rockville" as a first attempt and see what pops up. Vary it a bit each time to enlarge or reduce your scope - you might try "internships pyschology MD", "internships psychology Maryland", "mental health internships Maryland" etc.

You can also search for internships by going to specific company websites and surfing around under "Employment" or "Human Resources." For example, you could go to the National Institute of Standards and Technology site (find it by typing in the organization name in http://www.google.com/ ) and look in the Employment link - bingo!

Remember that many students go for the big name companies and organizations, so competition for internships may be intense. If you offer yourself as an intern at a smaller / local company, they may not have a formal intern program but they may be very willing to put you to work. A smaller organization may be able to give you more responsibility in handling a variety of tasks.

Have a resume ready before you begin your search. Make use of MC's resume writing services to polish up your form.

Internship Listings on the Web

Many, many companies & organizations list internship vacancies on the Web. Remember that everyone else is searching this way, too, so actual opportunities may be limited. This is a good way to get an idea of the types of internships that exist, and perhaps you can market yourself as an intern for a local company after you see the kinds of things that interns generally do.